


Music In Lieu Of Words

by Calamity_Hero_Awakens



Category: Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer featuring The Legend of Zelda (Video Game), The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Cute, Dubious Villains, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, First Meetings, Fluff, Inspired by Music, M/M, Mute Link (Legend of Zelda), Non-Canon Relationship, Rare Pairings, Sentient Animals, Tags Are Hard, Wordcount: 1.000-5.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-17
Updated: 2020-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:20:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23186920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Calamity_Hero_Awakens/pseuds/Calamity_Hero_Awakens
Summary: “I sometimes worry that the hero of Hyrule is truly the one who should be doing this, that I’m simply ruining the fates of everyone by intervening.”Sitting on the ground, Octavo looked up when he felt a warm huff against his cheek, turning to face the wolf that was standing at his eye level. In that moment, Octavo wished more than ever that his companion could speak and reassure him that what he was doing was right.As it set its head on Octavo’s shoulder and nuzzled his cheek, Octavo realized that words weren’t needed. The absence of them could be just as meaningful.
Relationships: Octavo/Link
Comments: 2
Kudos: 25





	Music In Lieu Of Words

**Author's Note:**

> Wolf Link in this is the same Link from Cadence of Hyrule but he looks like Wolf Link from Twilight Princess. And Octavo has always seemed like the good guy to me, which was my whole reason for writing this.

The sun was only a few hours away from setting, the forest still well lit. The full, thick branches of the trees kept constant shadows cast among the forest floor and swirling mist danced amongst the leaves and along the ground. These things combined with the innumerable creatures lurking about made the Lost Woods especially dangerous. As hazardous as it was though, that didn't stop a certain musician on a mission.

Looking more than a little out of place, a man dressed in a black suit and brilliant red button up shirt traversed the mysterious forest. He wasn't keen on roaming the woods but he was in desperate need of a second champion. The first one he had created had been defeated by a meddlesome boy in green.

The longer Octavo spent among the trees, the more lost he became; he had gotten completely lost and been returned to the entrance of the forest countless times. The most frustrating fact was that, everytime he was returned to the entrance, more monsters had appeared even though he had defeated all of the previous ones.

Entering a newfound section of the forest, Octavo was baffled. The pulsating rhythm he had cursed all of Hyrule (and accidentally himself) to follow was absent, the soft sound of music playing somewhere far off. All of the enemies he had expected to encounter were missing - well, all but one.

In the center of the clearing was a large black wolf. It was much larger than any of the other wolfos the musician had encountered and the lack of intense music told him that the animal was not a foe. If it wasn't an enemy though, what exactly was it? The majority of its fur was pitch black, a stark contrast to the white of its chest and belly. A unique black and white pattern was imprinted in the fur on its forehead but the utmost unparalleled item of its appearance was its eyes. Instead of the plain brown, red, or yellow that was found among the common wolfos, this animal's eyes were a brilliant blue.

Those stunning eyes were staring directly at him, Octavo realized. Neither one moved, too occupied sizing up the competition. When the composer took a step forward, the beast's trance seemed to wear off. It immediately crouched down, its hair standing on end and a heart stopping growl bubbling from its throat. None of the other wolves had bothered to growl, opting instead to simply attack their target. Octavo was unaccustomed to the startling noise but he knew exactly what it meant all the same.

Squatting down on his knees, Octavo held his hand out toward the animal, palm up. The wolf continued to growl before uttering a loud bark, obviously unwilling to trust the well-dressed stranger.

"If you won't trust me, at least allow me to pass you," Octavo said to the animal as if it would understand him. It didn't seem to listen anyway, continuing to growl viciously at him. The man sighed and stood up, edging closer to the trees as he tried to go around the aggressive animal. The wolf seemed to become even angrier, lunging a step closer and barking in admonition. Octavo froze, frowning as he crossed his arms. He looked much less terrified than he felt.

"Why are you animals so blatantly stupid?"

The wolf growled in disagreement to the question and Octavo favoured to ignore him as he began a one-sided conversation.

"It's wearying enough that I have to deal with all of the creatures that roam these woods, not to mention the bothersome child in green who destroyed my first champion."

At that, the animal's growls grew a little quieter, though they did not cease. Was it possible that the beast was sentient? It seemed to be, if it had understood what Octavo had said. Understanding he had gotten through to the animal - however minutely - Octavo decided to keep talking.

"The ignorant boy destroyed the first champion I had created. Even though I'm doing everything in my power to stop Ganon from rising, that boy seems to be doing everything in his power to stop me. Does he want Ganon to rule? Does he want death and destruction to consume Hyrule? Why can't he see that I'm trying to save his world?"

Though Octavo felt like he was arguing with a brick wall, the animal had stopped growling. Baby steps, he realized. If the wolf actually understood what he was saying, he might have a chance of reasoning his way around it.

"I knew that the hero and princess of this world would try to kibosh my plans so I had to put them into a deep sleep until all was over and done with. Unfortunately, the boy managed to awake prematurely," Octavo explained to the finally silenced beast. "I'm hoping to find another instrument at the heart of this forest. Though my first champion was defeated by the green-clad boy, I've heard tale of three other instruments throughout Hyrule. Once I've found them, I plan on using their powers to create three more champions. With the champions assembled, I will finally be able to face and defeat Ganon. As long as the boy stays out of my way, that is."

The wolf huffed a breath through its nose before slowly approaching the musician. Its beautiful sapphire eyes remained wary of the stranger but that was to be expected. Squatting back down, Octavo held his hand out as he had done before. This time, the animal sniffed his hand before letting out a high pitched whine and sitting back on its haunches.

“What is it?” Octavo asked but the animal remained silent, staring at him with a pleading expression. He looked like he had something genuinely important to say but simply couldn’t say it.

Something wet suddenly dripped on Octavo’s cheek and he quickly wiped it away, glancing up at the sky only to receive several raindrops in his eyes. Glancing down, he found the wolf shake its head when a particularly large drop landed on its nose. The man chuckled before surveying the surrounding area, finding only trees. An idea occurred to him and, while knowing it was definitely a long shot, if the wolf understood him, it would be worth it.

“You wouldn’t know of any nearby caves, would you?”

The animal stared at him blankly, offering a few vacant blinks before finally standing and beginning to weave around trees; Octavo took that as his cue to follow. Within a matter of minutes, the rain had increased drastically and was pouring down heavily on the man and beast. Thankfully, the woods began to thin out into a clearing, trees lining several sides as well as a sharply raised piece of land. Though the wolf’s fur was soaking wet and dripping onto the forest floor, the animal casually trotted up to the raised edge supporting the trees above and dug its nose into a section of the ivy curtaining the dirt. Pushing it aside, the wolf entered a previously hidden cave, Octavo following close behind.

Inside, the cave looked identical to the other ones the musician had been in throughout Hyrule. Fortunately, there were no enemies plaguing the dark space. The curtain of ivy hanging in front of the entrance limited the amount of light allowed into the cave, seeing as how there were no lights mounted inside. The overcast skies, however, prevented much light from shining anyway.

Taking a seat against the back wall, Octavo decided he would rest there for the night. Removing his shoes and coat, he folded them neatly before setting them to the side. The entire time, he could feel the intense stare of the wolf watching him. Once he was slightly undressed, Octavo finally lifted his gaze to the animal who sat across from him.

“Thank you,” he said. He still felt a little awkward speaking with an animal who could not respond but knowing that the animal understood him helped alleviate the awkwardness.

With their eyes locked, the wolf slowly approached the musician. The animal still seemed wary but his eyes held a beautiful sense of life and warmth in them. With the beast so close to him, Octavo finally realized just how big it was. Whereas the common wolfos were typically half his size, the larger ones being nearly as big as him, this one was much larger than himself. It was intimidating to have such a large and powerful animal so close to him, but Octavo felt a sense of safety with the animal.

With the wolf standing and Octavo sitting, their faces were level to each other. Creeping forward slowly, the wolf laid down beside him and rested its large head in his lap. Octavo was frozen for a moment before he finally began to stroke its beautiful and surprisingly soft fur; the creature let out a soft sigh and closed its eyes at the gentle contact. The act seemed so human and Octavo had to wonder if the animal was more human than beast.

Shielded by the thick curtain of ivy blocking the entrance to the cave, the musician listened to the sound of the pouring rain. The gentle noise combined with the soothing heat that radiated from the wolf was enough to lull him to sleep.

A particularly loud crack of thunder had Octavo jolting awake, his sleepy mind immediately confused by the lack of light. Feeling around blindly in the dark, he realized he was laying on his side, his head resting on a soft pillow.

Soft pillow? Where would he have gotten one of those, especially in an empty cave?

Feeling his way farther up the “pillow”, his hand stopped short when he felt something cold and wet. A high pitched whine sounded and Octavo finally realized that his furry pillow was the wolf he had encountered earlier. After this discovery, he was frozen in place. Should he get up and risk disturbing the animal? Or should he lay still and wait for the creature to move first? It hadn’t bitten his head off yet so he had cause to believe that the wolf was at least tolerating their close proximity. With his head resting on its stomach, there was no way it hadn’t noticed him.

“Hey,” Octavo whispered, immediately feeling dumb for doing so. Nevertheless, the wolf shifted to curl up around him, nuzzling its wet nose into Octavo’s cheek.

“Are you awake?”

A warm puff of air against his face was the answer to his question.

“May I ask something stupid?”

That time, he received no response, but it felt like his furry companion was waiting for him to continue.

“Are you…?”

Octavo stopped. How was he supposed to phrase such an odd question?

“Do you possess the soul of a person?”

It was deathly silent for several long moments before Octavo realized that the lack of response might have been because the animal didn’t know how to answer.

“One nudge for no, two nudges for yes.”

The wolf’s cold nose pressed against the musician’s cheek and Octavo held his breath until he felt a second nudge. He let out a breathless chuckle before immediately becoming self-conscious.

“Is this alright then?” he asked, running his fingers lightly through the soft hair of the creature’s neck. A single lick to the cheek had Octavo relaxing against the animal’s warm belly.

“Alright. I suppose we can discuss this in the morning.”

Closing his eyes, the musician absentmindedly ran his fingers through the wolf’s fur as he fell back asleep.

🎶 🎶 🎶

“I don’t suppose you will want to travel with me?” Octavo asked as the two set out for the heart of the forest. The morning light was dimmed by the cover of clouds but the rain had slowed to a light mist. Surprisingly, the section of the forest they had entered was empty, but Octavo wasn’t about to complain.

Glancing down at the beast beside him, Octavo saw the animal nod. Trying to ignore how utterly strange that seemed, he continued.

“What should I call you?”

The wolf stopped in its tracks as it thought before glancing up at Octavo then using its nails to scratch something into the soft soil. With the wet grass in the way, it took the man a moment to realize the shape was an “L”.

“I shall call you L?”

The wolf nodded again.

“Alright.” As an afterthought, he added, “I know you cannot speak, but my name is Octavo.”

Nothing more was said as the duo continued on through the forest.

🎶 🎶 🎶

For months, the musician and wolf traveled together, destroying monsters and discovering two more of the remaining instruments. Octavo was glad that the hero in green had not shown up to defeat his champions, but he couldn’t help but wonder where the boy was. Before, he had been mere steps behind Octavo; now, he was nowhere to be found.

L, on the other hand, was always there. After their first encounter, the two had stuck together on their journey. He had been wary of Octavo for the first few weeks, but the more the musician talked to him and told him about himself and his plans for the future, the more L began to warm up to him. Similarly, the more time they spent together, the easier Octavo found it to talk to L. After months of sharing company, Octavo sometimes forgot that L was a wolf. He seemed so human at times and the musician knew that he truly was a person - at least, he had been at one time. Such a thought made him wish that he had known L before he had become a mute beast.

Sitting beside the campfire he had built for the night, Octavo stared up at the night sky which was crystal clear without clouds to block his view of the twinkling stars. Beside him, L was stretched out on the soft grass, his eyes half open as he debated whether or not to sleep.

“Do you truly think we can defeat Ganon?” Octavo suddenly asked. L’s head lifted to look at his companion who was still staring at the sky, worry etched on his face.

“I know I’ve created more champions and I’ve got the golden lute,” Octavo cast a warm glance at L, “and I’ve got you, of course. But do you think it’ll be enough?”

His worried gaze returned to the sky as he sighed. “I sometimes worry that the hero of Hyrule is truly the one who should be doing this, that I’m simply ruining the fates of everyone by intervening.”

Octavo looked up when he felt a warm huff against his cheek, turning to face the wolf that was standing at his eye level. In that moment, Octavo wished more than ever that L could speak and reassure him that what he was doing was right. As always though, L couldn’t speak.

As L set his head on Octavo’s shoulder and nuzzled his cheek, Octavo realized that words weren’t needed. The absence of them could be just as meaningful.

🎶 🎶 🎶

Sitting on the stiff bed in his room at the Kakariko Inn, Octavo began to unlace his shoes, setting them beside the bed once they were removed. Unfortunately, the inn had a strict “no animals” policy, and Octavo assumed that would apply to wolves the size of a man even if they weren’t truly wolves. Smuggling L into the room hadn’t been difficult; with his room being on the first floor, he had only to open the window and let his companion in.

With the last bits of daylight fading from the sky, the musician opted to leave the window open a little longer so that he could watch the sun set. Laying on the bed behind him was L, his eyes trained on the fluffy clouds bathed in orange light that hung in the sky outside the window. As the orange and yellow hue of the sky faded to blue and purple, Octavo grabbed his lute and began to pick at the strings, playing a gentle tune that relaxed both of them. For a while, L laid beside him and listened as he played. However, once he had the tune down, he began to hum. The noise surprised Octavo - at first, he thought that L was growling - but he quickly understood what the sound was.

With Octavo playing his instrument and L humming along beside him, the atmosphere of the room was unusually relaxed. It was a nice change from the typical defensive guard they both harboured.

By the time Octavo set his lute to the side and began to get ready for bed, the sky was completely dark, the bright stars shining against a black backdrop. Sharing the bed with L wasn’t an issue, unlike the first time they had stayed at the inn; having never stayed at the Kakariko Inn, Octavo had simply paid for a regular room, finding out later that the bed was barely big enough for himself. This time, he had paid for a nicer room and therefore a larger bed.

Climbing onto the soft mattress, Octavo slid under the blanket, lifting it up so that L could lie beside him. Staring into the sapphire eyes of the wolf, the musician desperately wished that L hadn’t been turned into a wolf. What was he like as a person? How did he act? What did he look like? What kinds of things did he enjoy? It was immensely frustrating to have someone so close yet so far from him.

Watching as L’s eyes slid closed and his breathing began to level out, Octavo vowed to himself that he would find a way to turn L into a human again, no matter the cost.

🎶 🎶 🎶

The day had finally come. In only 24 hours, Octavo was to have his final battle with Ganon. The thought alone was nerve wracking and the musician was having a hard time mentally preparing himself even though he had been given months to do so.

Curled up against L in the cave they had chosen to spend the night in, Octavo’s mind was racing. Beside him, L was snoring peacefully, completely relaxed and unaware of Octavo’s psychological turmoil.

What if his power wasn’t enough? What if he couldn’t defeat Ganon? What if something happened to L?

Laying in the dark and on the brink of tears, Octavo noticed something glowing a soft golden colour.

“L, wake up,” Octavo nudged L; the wolf yawned but obeyed. In the darkness, the two watched the golden glow as it grew brighter and brighter, slowly taking the shape of something. It wasn’t until he moved that Octavo realized the object was on his hand. The glow grew brighter before pulsing gently with his rapid heartbeat, finally in the shape of a single triangle.

To say Octavo was confused was an understatement. He knew exactly what the triangle meant, and that only baffled him further. How did he suddenly possess a piece of the triforce? And why? He should be the last person to hold such a precious thing.

Another thought occurred to him. He knew that Ganon held the piece of power, the hero had the piece of courage, and the princess had the piece of wisdom. So what piece did he have? Which one of them had forfeited their piece so that it would fall to him? He immediately ruled out Ganon; there was no way he had lost his power, especially at such a convenient time. That would mean he had the triforce of wisdom or courage. Both seemed equally unlikely and Octavo had no clue which one he possessed.

L gently pressed his nose against the musician’s chin, drawing his attention away from his hand and to the wolf. In the dark, it was easy to see the glowing triangle on the back of the wolf’s left paw. Did that mean the wolf was the hero or even the princess? Or had L received the mark accidentally like Octavo? He was tempted to ask but decided against it. He wasn’t sure he was ready to know, even if he would be finding out soon anyway.

🎶 🎶 🎶

Wisdom and courage prevailed. Octavo’s three champions had weakened Ganon and together L and Octavo had finished him. The musician could hardly believe it but he wasn’t about to complain.

With the golden triforce of power suspended in front of them, Octavo hesitated. Only one with a pure heart, someone with equal measure of courage, power, and wisdom, could touch the triforce. While he did possess a piece of it, he knew he couldn’t be the one to touch it once it was assembled. Glancing down at his companion, Octavo saw L’s eyes sparkle.

“You know what to do,” Octavo said, though it sounded more like a question than a statement. Thankfully, L gave a reassuring nod then stepped forward, Octavo following. With a hand and a paw extended, the final two pieces met with the first and united with a brilliant glow that rivaled the sun. Octavo watched as L approached the holy triangles and lightly touched them with his nose. The golden light grew brighter until Octavo had to shield his eyes.

When he opened them again, he was standing in the castle courtyard; the guards that had previously been there were missing and Octavo was thankful for that. Sitting on the edge of the fountain was a woman with golden hair, her white gown flowing in the light breeze. Her eyes were trained on the clear water of the fountain and, without a word from Octavo, she began to address him.

“Octavo,” she said, turning her head to face him. “I want to thank you.”

The musician was struck dumb for a moment before he realized what her words meant.

“Why should you thank me?”

The beautiful woman chuckled. “Were you not the one who saved my land?”

“Not single-handedly.”

The woman laughed again. “I am aware of that. But you fought for this land when no one else would.”

“What about your hero?” Octavo asked. “Shouldn’t he have been the one to achieve such a task? He was the one gifted with the triforce of courage after all.”

“The triforce of courage, yes. The triforce of wisdom, no. Had he been wiser, he would have been able to see from the beginning that your efforts were for the greater good.”

“What stopped him then?”

“I had to intervene. Had he not been stopped, he would have ruined your plans. I could see from the beginning that you wanted only to stop Ganon. I was surprised to find that your motivations were not conceited and that you were not after the triforce as so many before you have been. So I put a stop to the hero’s unbeknownst attempts to regress your progress.”

“What did you do to stop him?” Octavo asked, fearing the answer.

“I did not hurt him,” the golden haired woman assured him. “In fact, he grew to see things your way.”

From the other side of the fountain appeared L. He looked the same as he had every time before that Octavo had seen him but now the musician could see him with a greater understanding.

“You turned him into a wolf.”

“That I did,” the goddess said with a smile. “I did not want him to sit idly by but I could not allow him to undo your progress. This way, he learned from experience while assisting you.”

Taking a few steps forward, L set his furry head in the woman’s lap. A gentle hand petted his head as the woman looked upon him with empathetic eyes.

“I suppose I should turn you back, hm?”

L’s tongue lolled out as he panted lightly in agreement; it was the first time since their initial meeting that Octavo had seen him look so much like a dog and he couldn’t repress the laugh that bubbled out of his throat.

As the goddess set her hand on L’s head, Octavo watched as the wolf was shrouded in bright light. Moments later, the light slowly dimmed until it disappeared entirely, revealing the blonde hero in green. Though Octavo knew it was coming, he was still surprised when it happened. He knew that the wolf was the hero, yet he had still expected to see someone else. For a moment, he even questioned whether the wolf and the hero were really the same person, but there was no mistaking those blue eyes.

Beautiful blue eyes. Eyes that shone in the darkness and reflected the light of the campfire. The fierce eyes of a wolf that was fearless, but also the soft eyes of a close friend.  
Octavo wasn’t sure when he had begun to feel so strongly about the hero; perhaps the feeling had been there since their first meeting, or maybe it had appeared after spending so many nights so close together, using the soft wolf as his pillow. Regardless of when, the feeling was there.

Pushing the feeling down, Octavo offered the hero a charming smile.

“I feel quite foolish to have to ask, but I assume that ‘L’ stands for something more?”

The hero tilted his head to the side in a way that reminded Octavo of his wolf companion before his hands came up and moved in several different gestures.

With sapphire eyes staring expectantly at him, Octavo admitted, “I don’t know what that means.”

“His name is Link,” the goddess spoke up. “His ability to speak is impaired. He uses his hands to communicate.”

“Oh,” Octavo lamely said, staring into the bright eyes that held his.

The goddess Hylia beckoned for Octavo to come closer and once he had, she took one of his hands and one of Link’s in her own.

“Thank you, both of you. Together, you two have saved this land. Your efforts will not be forgotten.”

🎶 🎶 🎶

When Octavo opened his eyes again, the hand holding his was no longer the goddess’s. Instead, a smaller, more calloused hand had its fingers wrapped around his. Blue eyes met gold and Octavo was frozen in place. A bright smile that rivaled the mirth in his eyes greeted the musician as Link tugged his hand, pulling him along behind him.

Octavo wasn’t sure where they were going, but he didn’t mind in the slightest. When Link’s rarely heard but beautiful voice was humming the song Octavo had played for him, he was sure he would follow that voice to the ends of the earth.


End file.
